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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/15/2015 12:19:57 PM

Lowpe

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Pax has the right of it.

Even if I stall the invasion, the Allies will be able to invade at some other point where I am weak. Remember this is a scenario 1 game.

Allies have done a great job of invading at the weakest points.

Countering the Chinese invasion is horrendously difficult given troop TOE disparity and all the clear ground. I probably could put together a strong infantry counter attack to threaten the beaches, but I can't control the air and have almost no anti-tank weapons.

Still, we will see what develops.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/15/2015 5:55:49 PM

panzer cat

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I'm sure the allies have more then enough shipping to keep the bridge head in supply. I've only played scenario 1, but not past early 44.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:29:47 AM

Lowpe

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May 17, 1944

More misses with our totally ineffective night torpedo runs against Allied shipping. To be sure, they targeted destroyers...

Heavy bombing of Tokyo, 28K fires burning and the runways trashed again.

The Allies fly into a little air festung over Iwaki, or was it Sendai. Doesn't really matter, but it was nice to down every plane. This, and the sinking of the SS Bluegill were the highlights of the day.

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Post #: 6063

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:32:43 AM

Lowpe

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Over in Indochina, on the jungle road heading to Vientiane, Japanese artillery hits the Allied troops. We were bombed moderately here, but further south, on the road to Pakse we were hit with a lot...luckily a fresh 1/3rd of a division was reinforcing in combat mode. Perhaps we can hold.

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Post #: 6064

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:36:14 AM

Lowpe

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Not to be....the troops morale is simply to low. Now we are presented with a pretty pickle.

I want to delay for longer to allow both the troops in the north to make Vientiane (10 & 17 miles progress thru the river crossing) and to allow the troops down near Saigon to pull back too. They are all recovering from heavy fighting and heavy aerial bombardments.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:41:49 AM

Lowpe

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No invasion. Wow. We lose one PT boat fighting four fletchers, and a larger convoy escapes to Shanghai...but all the shipping fleeing Hong Kong and Canton are pummeled.

Hong Kong and Canton are both bombed, losing a few ACMs and a damaged xak while I evacuated the planes to central China.

I was so sure of an invasion, I didn't even put up LRCAP on the ships fleeing Hong Kong even though I have 30 Tonies able to do so. I also blame turn fatigue as there are so much movement of my battered air forces I simply get tired on working on the turn. Such is life for the battered Japanese. Kind of failed my morale check last turn.

B29s from Singers also hit Hong Kong...

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:43:47 AM

Lowpe

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Not, a pretty picture. I wish I had put up some LRCAP, I could have salvaged some VPs. If I would have downed 25-40 more planes it would have gone a long way in offsetting the VP ratio.

Could have been much worse. Could have been an invasion of China...but then again that might have been an opportunity too (Not!).

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/16/2015 12:53:46 PM >

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:45:02 AM

Lowpe

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Can't really complain, a good day in the air for Japan. Could have done better. Sigh.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 11:52:26 AM

Lowpe

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Shikoku

The Allies have 3 divisions on Shikoku plus plenty of artillery in nasty terrain....I have three thousand AV heading in. And to think I was called Crazy for first attempting a defense in open terrain and now it looks like I might minimize the landings on Shikoku.

There are three Allied tank units at Matsuyama, but they haven't been able to knock the forts down there yet, and yesterday the defenders got 18 more 47 mm rapid fire anti-tank guns. More troops headed there today. I would like to hold here, as there is a hefty Ha32 factory producing, and sending the engines back to Honshu by barge -- all under American observation. Astounding.

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/16/2015 1:28:22 PM >

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 12:02:06 PM

Lowpe

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More reinforcements....not much to write home about. Weak TOE, horrible morale, but they are troops on the line!!!! I will take them gladly and throw them somewhere to protect the beaches.

Just having a division show up on SigInt, or the bombing, or just lots of men showing up in aerial recon can have an effect. A positive effect.

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/16/2015 1:03:30 PM >

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Post #: 6070

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 12:31:54 PM

Lowpe

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I missed an opportunity to end the Prince of Wales a day or two ago. She left Mergui, where she was licking the wounds done by three torpedo hits and I missed the intel informing me.

I blame my staff. Falling down on the job. I could have gotten some 800 kg kamikazes there and perhaps put her down for good.

Meanwhile, the KB is training up to hit the Australian industry and replenishing air frames. Tankers and oilers are filling up to make this trip possible.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 12:40:42 PM

Lowpe

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Opportunity of the day....

Maximum effort from these airbases. Kamikazes, Divebombers, Torpedo planes, as many escorts as I can stuff on the bases.

It will probably fail, but perhaps not! Hope springs eternal in the beleaguered Empire! Banzai!!!

I am assuming a 7 hex movement rate. That might be generous, which in that case the attack will go off the following day given the same course of movement and decent weather. However, the odds are good the task force isn't even really heading west...I set up so many traps that go for naught. Last turn I had 60 fighters over some tankers near Pescadores and the deathstar goes west.

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/16/2015 2:38:44 PM >

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 2:36:39 PM

Lowpe

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Lang Son: An Important Base

The lessons I am learning in this game just keep coming. After Vinh, which is a fortress, comes Lang Son the Gateway to China.

What a wonderful rest and repair facility for my shattered troops. It is at the end of the rail road line to Saigon; it has no malaria; it is in nasty terrain making aerial bombing less effective.

Of course when the front line reaches here, it can be easily bypassed to the plains below. But as long as it stays in Japanese hands, supply for the Allies would be problematical. A good place to build forts and supply I think.

If Pakhoi falls, that could become a supply hub for the Allies...well, nothing is ever perfect, and there is currently a full division sitting at Pakhoi, digging and fortifying.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 2:39:43 PM

Lowpe

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It has been two to three weeks since these troops escaped the Thailand plains and ferocious bombing by the Allies with perhaps a tank fight in between.

Shattered. Simply shattered. Look at the morale.

But, they made it back, and will head to Lang Son and hopefully a full month of recovery before they need to be thrown back into the cauldron that is war on the western front.

I am glad I took Alfred's advice in planning subsequent lines with fresh troops. I am somewhat surprised I have managed to retreat my troops without them getting cut off so far.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 2:46:40 PM

Lowpe

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The Commonwealth has pushed thru the jungle to threaten the road line. Currently held by a third of the crackerjack 11th Division. Luckily, the other two thirds are moving into the lines this turn in combat formation, and all the troops have been given special demolition charges for the expected tanks.

But, no AA; and you can bet your bottom dollar the Allies will bomb hard and long.

Dare I expend my dwindling fighter strength trying to protect the troops here. Or, should I use them to fly LRCAP over the shipping that is currently being hunted down by the Allied deathstar. Probably only have a hundred or so fighters to use...

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 3:26:28 PM

ny59giants

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The leader for the 33rd ID is great for front line duty, but lousy for rebuilding it. It needs better Admin and Leadership right now. Spend the dozen PP points. See "Leaders" document I propably sent you done by Alfred. If not there, its in my AARs.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 3:47:04 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

The leader for the 33rd ID is great for front line duty, but lousy for rebuilding it. It needs better Admin and Leadership right now. Spend the dozen PP points. See "Leaders" document I propably sent you done by Alfred. If not there, its in my AARs.

Thanks, you are so correct. Of course I have a copy of your leadership factoid.

Unfortunately, PP are so darn scarce!!!

And it isn't a dozen points, but 37 or so!!!

Here is a list of divisions needing rest and repair in the Indochina front: 33rd, 2nd, 55th, 18th, 14th, 21st, 1st, 8th, and 4th. Nine divisions.

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Post #: 6077

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 4:00:41 PM

Lowpe

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Michael, you always like using command hqs:

Of course this means it will be bypassed.

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/16/2015 5:17:54 PM >

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 4:20:13 PM

Encircled

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Doing really well mate

Keeping the flag flying for us JFBs and giving us valuable ideas about what we can do when we get to this stage!

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 6:55:39 PM

ny59giants

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Lousy leaders means they will NOT be ready for combat soon enough. Buy one at least twice per week. If not, all that Assault Value will go to waste once they are attacked.

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Post #: 6080

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/16/2015 7:17:51 PM

Lowpe

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Doing really well mate

Keeping the flag flying for us JFBs and giving us valuable ideas about what we can do when we get to this stage!

Run and hide or Cower and fear! There is no escaping the Allied juggernaut.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 2:17:21 AM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Lang Son: An Important Base

The lessons I am learning in this game just keep coming. After Vinh, which is a fortress, comes Lang Son the Gateway to China.

What a wonderful rest and repair facility for my shattered troops. It is at the end of the rail road line to Saigon; it has no malaria; it is in nasty terrain making aerial bombing less effective.

Of course when the front line reaches here, it can be easily bypassed to the plains below. But as long as it stays in Japanese hands, supply for the Allies would be problematical. A good place to build forts and supply I think.

If Pakhoi falls, that could become a supply hub for the Allies...well, nothing is ever perfect, and there is currently a full division sitting at Pakhoi, digging and fortifying.

Generally, my MLR after Rangoon ... yeah, I prefer to fall back all the way here. Why? It is defensible. You have jungle terrain N/S from the sea all the way to the Mountains in the North. I put my troops in the terrain, not the base.
Troop supply cannot be bombed in hexes, only bases AFAIHS.

Troops with 3 forts in jungle are hard to dig out. And you can have several layers here. Force the allies into another amphib near canton where you can really smack them with kami's ...

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Pax

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 5:31:33 AM

DanSez

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
May 17, 1944
More misses with our totally ineffective night torpedo runs against Allied shipping. To be sure, they targeted destroyers...

Doesn't the H-6 Airborne Radar go active next month (6/44)?
Nells, Bettys, P1Y2 Frances -- could that will help your night torpedo attacks?

If you are still swinging in October, the B6N2a Jills get the N-6 radar, if that is any good.

Good luck.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 11:09:59 AM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: DanSez

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe
May 17, 1944
More misses with our totally ineffective night torpedo runs against Allied shipping. To be sure, they targeted destroyers...

Doesn't the H-6 Airborne Radar go active next month (6/44)?
Nells, Bettys, P1Y2 Frances -- could that will help your night torpedo attacks?

If you are still swinging in October, the B6N2a Jills get the N-6 radar, if that is any good.

Good luck.

I haven't seen it help attacks per se. What I have seen is that more AC do attack, less of them get lost or divert. So, while hit percentages remain about the same, simply more attacks means more hits. And of course, once a ship is hit at night, it attracts more attacks ...
So, yes it helps, but in a round-about way ...

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Pax

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Post #: 6084

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 2:35:38 PM

Lowpe

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Turn is away...whew.

Set some LRCAP up over the shipping south of Hong Kong, hopefully I can trade planes for ships and not lose out on too many victory points.

I have set up my CVE trap near Daito, and I am moving a BB and many destroyers into the area to draw those carriers in I hope, if they don't come of there own accord.

I did put up LRCAP over the 13th Division in the jungle. Sometimes when the Allies switch targets, that first day the bombers come first.

Trying a large airfield bombing run at night...

I have 7 more divisions heading to fortify the Chinese coast from the interior...should help.

Sweeping an Allied base with Georges...

Working at sinking more subs, this time off Miri...

KB heading to OZ! Ooops, always forget things. I noticed a high detection level on Taraken and wanted to put some fighters there incase MR. B29 came calling...oh well, perhaps tomorrow.

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RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 4:10:40 PM

Lokasenna

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quote:

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Lang Son: An Important Base

The lessons I am learning in this game just keep coming. After Vinh, which is a fortress, comes Lang Son the Gateway to China.

What a wonderful rest and repair facility for my shattered troops. It is at the end of the rail road line to Saigon; it has no malaria; it is in nasty terrain making aerial bombing less effective.

Of course when the front line reaches here, it can be easily bypassed to the plains below. But as long as it stays in Japanese hands, supply for the Allies would be problematical. A good place to build forts and supply I think.

If Pakhoi falls, that could become a supply hub for the Allies...well, nothing is ever perfect, and there is currently a full division sitting at Pakhoi, digging and fortifying.

Generally, my MLR after Rangoon ... yeah, I prefer to fall back all the way here. Why? It is defensible. You have jungle terrain N/S from the sea all the way to the Mountains in the North. I put my troops in the terrain, not the base.
Troop supply cannot be bombed in hexes, only bases AFAIHS. Troops with 3 forts in jungle are hard to dig out. And you can have several layers here. Force the allies into another amphib near canton where you can really smack them with kami's ...

You can't stop them from shooting their AA at planes, though, and bombing them will make them use supply.

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Post #: 6086

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 4:22:21 PM

Lowpe

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Not to mention the Allies like to bomb troops no airfields. The massive aerial bombardment drains the the troops of supply prior to the attacks, they seem to do better in towns. In this game.

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Post #: 6087

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/17/2015 4:53:30 PM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

quote:

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

quote:

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

Lang Son: An Important Base

The lessons I am learning in this game just keep coming. After Vinh, which is a fortress, comes Lang Son the Gateway to China.

What a wonderful rest and repair facility for my shattered troops. It is at the end of the rail road line to Saigon; it has no malaria; it is in nasty terrain making aerial bombing less effective.

Of course when the front line reaches here, it can be easily bypassed to the plains below. But as long as it stays in Japanese hands, supply for the Allies would be problematical. A good place to build forts and supply I think.

If Pakhoi falls, that could become a supply hub for the Allies...well, nothing is ever perfect, and there is currently a full division sitting at Pakhoi, digging and fortifying.

Generally, my MLR after Rangoon ... yeah, I prefer to fall back all the way here. Why? It is defensible. You have jungle terrain N/S from the sea all the way to the Mountains in the North. I put my troops in the terrain, not the base.
Troop supply cannot be bombed in hexes, only bases AFAIHS. Troops with 3 forts in jungle are hard to dig out. And you can have several layers here. Force the allies into another amphib near canton where you can really smack them with kami's ...

You can't stop them from shooting their AA at planes, though, and bombing them will make them use supply.

Absolutely true. But AA at least has a chance to hit. Bombed supply is total loss.

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Pax

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Post #: 6088

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/18/2015 12:11:31 PM

Lowpe

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May 18th, 1944

Well, there are two good things to say about this turn. Maybe three. First, 3000 AV have made it into the wood rough terrain blocking the Allied Army on Shikoku. Central Honshu is saved from the enemy for now! How they managed to cross all that open ground and live will be a tale told to your grandkids...Amazing.

Then, we held at Matsuyama again, forts intact. The Allies are attacking with the 2 TD Battalions and one Tank Battalion. We are defending with the shattered remnants of a depot division, the 6th South Seas Detachment (which is doing most of the heavy lifting) and some other odds and ends, which includes some 47 mm rapid fire AT guns which actually destroyed an AFV! Banzai!! I suspect the Allies will see the two new units amongst the defenders and fly LRCAP over the base to destroy the transport planes flying in troops. In a day or two we will be able to barge in some units and hold the base I think....it is important for all the factories there.

And finally, there were no Allied ground attacks in the Indochina theater.

Maybe we can add a fourth and fifth good thing. No fresh air attacks against Japanese industry and we probably sank at least one sub.

The rest of the turn, not so well.

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Post #: 6089

RE: KB Strikes! - 10/18/2015 12:34:53 PM

Lowpe

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The Allies split the Deathstar and wipe out a fair amount of shipping, despite having 30 Japanese fighters on LRCAP...they were too low and got shredded by the Corsair escorts.

Some ships trying to escape in random directions ran into surface raiders of three Allied destroyers.

Not much escaped here...

In Indochina, the crackerjack 11th Division formed up and is augmented by a 47 mm AT rapid fire unit too, but really needs AA. The 1st Tank takes up a blocking position, awaiting reinforcements from Pakse.

The 14th Division and several mixed infantry units still make there way to Vientiane...the long retreat thru the jungle is almost over. These were the defenders of Uttaradit about 600 AV of decent troops.

Cam Ran Bay was bombed heavily, the runways, and a fair amount of supplies went up in flames plus a few Helens. There was 3219 supplies last turn, 12 supply hits later there was 2432.

Japan lost 60 planes to the Allies 20 today. 30 Fighters trying to protect the merchant shipping, and 20 Irving NF on the ground plus a few other odds and ends...

At the solid block above, an Allied troop is heading across the river which would be a shock attack. Boy, they will really get destroyed by the awaiting Japanese heavy artillery, 2 Divisions one of which is the 2nd Tank all in good shape. We continue to artillery bombard with good results (3 combats squads and 12 AFVs destroyed last turn). Right below the is the 13th Divison, that should read the 11th Division.

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< Message edited by Lowpe -- 10/18/2015 1:40:55 PM >

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Post #: 6090